Letters to the editor for Nov. 15, 2012

Voter suppression effort was a failure

It's refreshing to know that despite efforts to suppress voters and the influence of big money in the past election, the voice of the common man has prevailed.

The voter suppression tactics, which included voter ID and cutbacks to early voting, in fact seemed to rally the very electorate that they were intended to repress. Rather than being discouraged or intimidated, people were willing to stand in lines for up to eight hours in some counties in Florida to make their voices heard. Let's hope that the Republicans abandon this travesty against a constitutionally guaranteed right.

As for Karl Rove, "the Bernie Madoff of politics," I don't think he'll be receiving any Christmas gifts from the millionaires who shoveled tens of millions of dollars into his Super PAC and got nothing in return.

Now that the people have spoken, I think the best thing that the Republicans in Congress can do is break away from the tentacles of the Tea Party and Grover Norquist's pledge, and instead be willing to do what's right for America.

MARK CHAPMAN

PERINTON

We have an unhealthy addiction to technology

Today, technology rules the world that we live in. There have been so many advances which have brought us to where we are today. Where would we be without it? It scares people just to think about it.

Technology does have its pros and cons, though. These days, most people wouldn't be able to function without it. Between cellphones and texting, or the Internet, teenagers use it daily. I personally believe that it contributes to obesity. Most kids would rather sit on the coach and play their favorite video game or watch their favorite movie than go outside and be active.

Technology and its use is making people lazy, and it's getting out of control.

JESSI BROWN

HAMLIN

Citizens should beware Federal Reserve effect

Both the German Weimar Republic after World War I and Zimbabwe in 2001 came up with a brilliant idea. Let's print more of our currency to pay back our national debt. The result was a total collapse of each country's monetary system and economy.

The United States is doing something far more insane. We are printing and borrowing money not to pay our debt but to add to it. We are borrowing and creating more than $3 billion a day that we don't have. The Federal Reserve is creating money out of thin air to buy our debt and transferring that debt to their balance sheet. Quantitative easing (QE1, QE2, QE3) has created more than $2.5 trillion since 2009.

Most Americans don't know that the Federal Reserve is not part of our government but instead is a private bank. It is true that China is the largest foreign country holder of American debt, owning more than $1 trillion, but the largest holder of American debt is the Federal Reserve! The end result will not be pleasant.

RICHARD DOWLING

WEBSTER

Health costs threaten small businesses

I read with interest (Oct. 26 story: "More firms seek to limit health costs") that according to a survey of Rochester Business Alliance member organizations, respondents said they expect health premiums to rise locally around 11 percent. I have not seen such a "low" increase in years. In fact, our premium is going up a whopping 29 percent!

At one point, we were able to cover 75 percent of the higher plans. Now we have had to slowly transition to the high-deductible plan. Initially, it was because the high deductible plan's premium was more affordable. Now it is because the premiums for other plans are prohibitive.

I do not have the answer, but I know as a small business owner these types of increases can put us out of business.

According to the Affordable Care Act, many employers will either have to offer affordable plans or risk a fine. Great, who is going to provide those affordable plans?

LAURA BATES

PERINTON

Owner, Bates-Rich Child Care

Are our standards becoming too relaxed?

I liked Esther Cepeda's recent column about the increasing laxity of our standards of dress. Sometimes I'm ambivalent, because there's an openness and friendliness to being less formal; it can be more "real" and individually expressive, but there's a conservative side of me that wants to preserve some societal boundaries, and doesn't want to see people looking sloppy in public. Flannel and fleece are OK for shirts, but when pants are made of them, they are pajama bottoms, and are not suitable for public wear! I see more and more of this lately, on adults, cartoon characters often included. I guess it gives me a laugh, but still. ...